Accent Modification

Real reasons why clients have wanted to reduce their accents:

"to assimilate"

"to sound as Canadian as I feel"

"to have to repeat myself less"

"to feel more confident"

"as a self-development exercise"

An accent occurs when sounds from your first language affect the pronunciation of sounds in your second language. Improving your pronunciation in your second (or third) language is called accent modification. The process involves learning new consonant sounds, vowel sounds, intonation and communication habits to match the local Toronto accent. As you learn to match more sounds, you progressively sound more native in your accent. Whether your accent is heavy or slight, we can help you. We understand that strength of an accent doesn't reflect how intelligent you are or how well you understand English. And, we know that clients who chose accent modification often experience trouble with pronunciation in their first language as well. Our clinic will help with that too.

Accent Modification - Yes. Accent Reduction - No.

We won't use the phrase "accent reduction" to describe the accent-related therapy or training that we do and here's why. The idea of accent reduction is essentially ethnocentric. It presupposes that our own accent is "neutral" and that the other accent must be reduced to get back to the neutral, pure, or best accent. To train someone in accent therapy, you are adjusting their original accent to match (usually) your accent. Simply put, through this process one would be replacing the original accent (e.g., Cork accent) with a new accent (e.g., Toronto accent) and this is more appropriately called accent modification or accent adjustment.

Our Approach

At Well Said: Toronto Speech Therapy, we have worked on hundreds of accents and can help you achieve measurable improvements with your pronunciation in your real life. Using a client-centered, evidenced-based, holistic and collaborative approach, we will work with you and employ the latest research on accent and adult learning to achieve your speech goals.

Did you know our services are covered by most workplace and education insurance plans? Try our "Is Accent Work for Me?" self-reflection tool below to discover how you might benefit.

Is accent work for me?

Unsure if accent work is right for you? Try our new self-assessment tool by clicking on the box below. A box will open with a series of questions that will help you decide if this service is what you've been looking for.

Open the Accent Self-Assessment tool

Accent Self-Assessment

You don’t want to lose your accent as much as you want to moderate it

Strongly Disagree

Disagree

Neutral

Agree

Strongly Agree

You have difficulty pronouncing some sounds in the way they are pronounced where you live or work

Strongly Disagree

Disagree

Neutral

Agree

Strongly Agree

You knowledge of English is at an advanced or native level

Strongly Disagree

Disagree

Neutral

Agree

Strongly Agree

You see improving your pronunciation of English as an exercise in professional development or self-improvement

Strongly Disagree

Disagree

Neutral

Agree

Strongly Agree

Your accent is impacting you professionally, academically or socially

Strongly Disagree

Disagree

Neutral

Agree

Strongly Agree

You want to sound as "local" as you feel

Strongly Disagree

Disagree

Neutral

Agree

Strongly Agree

People often ask you to repeat yourself while speaking

Strongly Disagree

Disagree

Neutral

Agree

Strongly Agree

You have difficulty communicating on the telephone

Strongly Disagree

Disagree

Neutral

Agree

Strongly Agree

You feel more confident communicating in writing than in speaking

Strongly Disagree

Disagree

Neutral

Agree

Strongly Agree

Your English grammar and language level is more sophisticated than you sound

Strongly Disagree

Disagree

Neutral

Agree

Strongly Agree

You feel like people are “judging” or typecasting you upon hearing you speak

Strongly Disagree

Disagree

Neutral

Agree

Strongly Agree

If you answered agree or strongly agree to two or more of these questions, then you may benefit from accent therapy, coaching, or training. As an experienced team of adult-focused speech-language pathologists, we can help you employing the latest research on accents, phonology, and adult learning. Feel free to submit your answers for review to open a discussion about self-development.

all information submitted is secure and confidential.

I would like to be contacted by Well Said: Toronto Speech Therapy to discuss my results:

This blog post addresses: What is an accent? What is the difference between accent modification and accent reduction? What is involved in the assessment? Why Well Said: Toronto Speech Therapy? We also feature Daniel Boyle's own linguistic background and philosophies when working with accents.